Monday, October 7, 2013

Millennials -- the generation born between 1979-2000, and who made up 83% of wedding clients last year -- were raised to believe they could be anything they wanted to be because they were the only ones that had their unique blend of DNA and gifts. Also called "Trophy Kids", they were taught an "everyone's a winner" mentality and were given awards for simply showing up. There was no such thing as a losing team, just "last winners." They were taught that they were unique, special snowflakes, and each child knew from a young age that they had no copy anywhere in the world.

Because of this, millennials see custom as a need and a given at any price point, not a luxury or premium upgrade. While your service offerings may say that all packages are customizable, the word packages itself sends up an unconscious red flag to millennial consumers. They equate the word packages with cookie cutter, and using it in your sales materials tells them that you are not able or willing to accommodate their uniqueness.

Even if your behind-the-scenes system is not entirely custom, the process of working with you needs to FEEL custom. The best place to start with that is to change the language you use in presenting what you have to offer to potential clients.

No comments:

Welcome to Think Splendid! My name is Liene and I'm an author, speaker and business consultant specializing in the wedding and lifestyle industries. I speak and consult on mindset, consumer psychology and behavioral economics — or how people make decisions, including how they buy. In addition, my research on the millennial generation is taught as part of the MBA curriculum at three top-tier US universities. I love big cities, strong coffee, fresh flowers, and a good dinner party. This blog is a place for me to share some of my thoughts and observations on leadership, generosity, business, art, culture, and life in general.

For millennials, the generation that accounts for more than 83% of today's weddings and the first to grow up with the Internet, technology has done more than give unprecedented access to information; it has physically changed their brains on a microcellular level. What worked in bridal marketing just ten years ago is no longer effective because the way today's engaged couples think is actually different than couples of generations past. In Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace, wedding expert Liene Stevens unveils the mindset of today's brides and grooms and provides a blueprint for marketing your business in a rapidly changing world.